'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The 2023 FIBA World Cup action continued with 16 new teams playing their opening contests of the tournament. Day 2 (August 26th) saw several superstars like Luka Doncic and Anthony Edwards suit up for their respective teams.
Day 2 appeared to have many close battles compared to the opening-day fixtures. Puerto Rico vs. Sudan produced the first OT game, the Giannis Antetokounmpo-less Greece was given a few headaches by Jordan early on, Venezuela also gave Slovenia a run for their money, and the USA faced the same fate against New Zealand.
However, like Day 1, Day 2 didn't see any upsets. Despite early concerns, the favorites took care of business against the underdogs.
Trending
FIBA World Cup 2023 Day 2 results: List of winners
16 teams from groups B, C, E and F were in action. Here's a look at all the winners from Day 2 of the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
Explore the NBA Draft 2024 with our free NBA Mock Draft Simulator & be the GM of your favorite NBA team.
Puerto Rico stages stunning comeback against South Sudan
The 2023 FIBA World Cup Day 2's opening game was the best of today's fixtures. In what seemed like an easy win for South Sudan at first, things turned around after the second half as Puerto Rico stormed back from a 10-point halftime deficit to claim a 101-96 overtime win.
Stephen Thompson Jr. tallied 21 points, 13 rebounds and five steals, while George Conditt contributed 18 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks to guide the Puerto Ricans to a surprise win. Carlik Jones was South Sudan's best player with 35 points, six rebounds and 11 assists.
Georgia steamrolls past Cape Verde
Georgia's clash against Cape Verde was a lopsided affair from the start. Georgia took a 20-11 lead into the second quarter and never looked back. They stretched their advantage to 26 points at halftime, which pretty much decided the fate of the contest. Tornike Shengeloa was the player of the game for tallying 16 points and seven rebounds.
Meanwhile, Goga Bitadze had 15 points, 11 rebounds and three assists. Keneti Mendes and Keven Gomes scored 11 and 10 points, respectively, for Cape Verde, who didn't offer much resistance to Georgia.
Greece overcomes Jordan
Greece opened their 2023 FIBA World Cup campaign with a comfortable 92-71 win over Jordan. They overcame former NBA player Rondae Hollis-Jefferson's masterful 24-point performance thanks to a collective effort. Greece had four players scoring in double-digits.
Giannoulis Larentzakis led the way with 19 points on 58.3% shooting. Thomas Walkup and Ioannis Papapetrou had 13 points apiece. Jordan's lack of depth hampered their shot at staying close to Greece's total after the first quarter.
Brazil decimate Iran
Brazil's win over Iran was an old-fashioned blowout after the South American country scripted a 100-59 win, holding their opponents to the tournament's lowest total thus far. Brazil had five players scoring at least 10 or more points. Bruno Cabacio led the way with 16 points and seven rebounds.
Matin Aghanjanpour and Hamed EHaddadi tried to salvage some pride for Iran with 11 and 10-point performances, respectively, but it was far from enough to yield any fruitful result for their team.
Brazil got the win but suffered a big blow after former NBA player Raul Neto was carried out on a stretcher in the third quarter of the game. It seemed like a severe injury as he left in tears, seemingly convinced that his World Cup campaign had ended prematurely.
Slovenia storms past Venezuela behind 'Luka Magic'
Slovenia faced a stiff challenge in their opening group game of the 2023 FIBA World Cup against Venezuela. Luka Doncic's 37-point effort ensured they didn't succumb to an upset loss, winning the tie 100-85. It was a close game until the first half. Venezuela led by 33-31 at the end of the first period and entered halftime with a six-point deficit.
Slovenia dominated the proceedings after the break, claiming a 15-point lead entering the final frame. Mike Tobey (21 points on 100% shooting) and Klemen Prepelic (18 points) provided excellent support for Doncic.
Garly Sojo was Venezuela's best player, finishing with 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting.
Serbia outclass China
Serbia breezed past China in their opening game of the World Cup with a 105-63 blowout win. The European giants relied on a collective effort to script the victory. Bogdan Bogdanovic and Vanja Marinkovic scored 14 points each, while Dusan Ristic tallied 13. Aleksa Avramovic and Nikola Milutinov also scored in double-digits.
Rui Zhao was China's best player. He scored 17 points on 53.8% shooting. There's not much China could do against a dominant Serbian team that's playing without reigning NBA Finals MVP Nikola Jokic. Serbia had the better team, and they played like one when it mattered.
USA fend off 'Tall Blacks'
Title favorites, Team USA, tipped off their FIBA campaign with a 99-72 win over New Zealand. The Americans trailed 4-14 to start the game, but Paolo Banchero and Austin Reaves flipped the script from that point on. Banchero finished with a game-high 25-point performance, while Reaves had 12 points and a team-high six assists.
USA couldn't cope with the 'Tall Blacks' physical brand of play early on, but they settled in as the game progressed. The second unit changed the course of the game for the USA. They were highly efficient and won despite making 15 fewer field goal attempts than New Zealand.
Reuben Te Rangi was New Zealand's most influential player. He had 15 points to his name.
Spain handle business against Ivory Cost
No. 1 ranked Spain scripted a 94-64 win against Ivory Coast in their opening game of the 2023 FIBA World Cup. The 2022 EuroBasket champions didn't face much resistance against their underdog opponents. Willy Hernangomez continued his fine form with a 22-point, five-rebound burst in the win, while Usman Garuba and Juancho Hernangomez combined for 23 points.
Meanwhile, Bazoumana Kone and Jean Philippe Dally combined for 21 points for Ivory Coast. They tried their best but couldn't do much against a more skilled team with more size and depth in their ranks.
